Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 244, 2 December 1940, Page 4

Local and General

Long Tenancies. Long-term tenancies have been taken by the two swarms of bees: which have attached themselves to two business premises in the Strand. One swarm in particular seems loathe to leave quarters apparently found to be the solution to the bees" housing problem and it has remained undisturbed since its occupancy of the jDosition in January. Gardening or War? That there would be> no one left to tend the garden, and do various jobs round his mother's home was one of the reasons advanced bj r a young man Avho appeared before the Wellington Manpower Committee, in support of his appeal for exemption from territorial service. He said he had two brothers, one aged 19 and one a year or two younger, but said they could not look after the garden because they did not know enough about it. Mail for Troops Overseas. Sincc the beginning of the year, over 400 tons of mail matter has been despatched from New .Zealand for Expeditionary Force soldiers. The volume has doubled itself each quarter, so that whereas 30 were sent away in the January to March period, despatches in the April-June and July-September quarters were 65 and 127 tons respectively. Last month the total, was 116 tons, and for the first week of this month, 80 tons were sent, Parcey numbers have similarly increased. In January to March they numbered 7190; last month alone they numbered 52,966.

A Rare Sight. Two paddocks of oats now in head make a fine sight to farmers' eyes at the corner of King and Bridge Streets. A paddock of oats is a rare sight in the Auckland Province since horse traffic has to a large extent been superseded;, by motors, but a generation ago a good acreage of oats was grown in this district for horse feed. Sympathy. While all New Zealanders are expressing sympathy with the people of Britain in their trials, there is at least one Englishwoman who feels the sympathy should be with those who are not experiencing the thrill, of assisting in the defeat Of Germany. Writing as enemy aeroplanes were overhead and a call on duty was expected, she thus exhorts

a male relative in Auckland: "Keep a cheerful heart, old lad. It must be horrible being so far away and much harder to realise how well we are doing realty. I'm proud to be even that very humble thing an; A.R.P. warden, and only hope that I shall not fail."

Condolences. At the annual general meeting of the Bay of Plenty Poultry,, Pigeon and Cage-Bircl Club votes of eoindolence we're passed to the. relatives of the late Mr G. Anseil, the late Mr G. A. Latham and the late Master R. Loonies. All had been prominent members of the Club. Ragwort in Bloomi. Ragwort plants are to be seen in paddocks along certain roads in the Whakatane County—only a few— but a few too many. It is a pity all landowners would not follow the example of other farmers and use sodium chlorate, which is death to ragwort. "Complacent People." "I wish a few people in New Zealand could spend a few nights in England and strike a bombing raid. It would shake some of those complacent souls who think they are doing their bit by working overtime at 3s 6d an hour," writes a Hastings member of the 2nd Echelon now in England. "I would like them to see some of the tremendous sacrifices these people here make," he continued. *'Even with tea and sugar rationed, some of these little country homes will always find enough to make tea for as many as 100 of our boys on a march. People in England cannot do too much, it seems, for troops* especially the New Zealanders. I hope all the citizens of New Zealand, and not just the soldiers of New Zealand will help to repay the debt we owe tlie common people of England."